Dark Mirror: Dark Legacy
by Seven Malfoy
Summary: Full Summary Inside. A/U. What if Tom Riddle had been adopted into a pureblood family at the age of 6, attending Hogwarts knowing about his family history?


Summary: Tom Riddle Jr. was an orphan living in a horrible muggle orphanage until he turned 11 and went to Hogwarts. What if, instead, he was adopted earlier after displaying some of his abilities to a well-connected squib? What if he grew up with a dark family fully aware of his place in society?

This story will eventually contain Dumbledore bashing, and is DARK, I tell you! It is a part of a longer story I had planned a few years ago, eventually including James Potter & Co, and eventually Harry Potter's generation. Each subsequent generation will have it's own story. And now, I present my first chapter, heavily edited for those who read the original story. Updates will come quickly, since I already have this first generation written and simply have to edit them. Enjoy, and please Read and Review.

These Characters are the property of J.K. Rowling

EDIT: Thanks to stonegnome1 for catching a couple of mistakes.

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><p>Tom Riddle sat in the edge of a four-poster bed, decorated heavily in dark green and ebony wood. The six year old boy still didn't really understand how he had come to be in this particular house, and what kind of creature had just come in to his room with what was meant to be his breakfast. The little thing had left the tray on a small table, bowed and backed out of the room. He sat and pondered the looming portraits that hung around the room. His small bag from the orphanage sat on the side of his bed, containing three items, a few clothes, his day uniform from the orphanage, and night clothes that were beyond threadbare. He reflected on what had occurred within the past two days to get him in this curious position.<p>

_Two days prior_

Most of the orphans, Tom included, were quite excited. A small circus had come into town, and the performers had decided to give the orphanage a free showing of the minor exhibits. Included was the 'bearded lady', a couple of snake charmers, a couple of tumblers, and an abbreviated clown show. The bearded lady was first, followed by the snake charmers, and then the children sat down as the tumblers performed and then the clowns did a few tricks. It was during the clown show that one of Tom's biggest tormentors, Nigel, poked at the boy next to him and said "Don't those freaks remind you of the freaky deaky Riddle Boy?" Nigel was a mean boy, nine years old and the leader of the young orphans, having been at the orphanage the longest. Since he was the oldest everybody listened to him, especially the eight year old sitting next to him, Phillip. Then the pair of them began a chorus of "Freaky deaky Riddle Boy" just within Tom's earshot. The two snakes, which were staring at him the entire time, seemed to shake their heads sadly at the spectacle.

The clowns continued, trying to distract the growing number of children who were more interested in poking fun than their upcoming finale. As the group around Tom and Nigel laughed and cheered at the end of the song, Tom jumped up and ran off behind the snake charmer's curtain. The two snakes slid up to him and watched him. He looked at the two snakes, and said "I wish you two could understand me. You seem like such nice creatures. You could be my friends, I've got no others". Then, to his surprise the longer of the two snakes said "_We should be your friend, you speak better than the other man does of us. He is mean to us and feeds us food that is already dead and stinking. I am Niana, and this is Vai." _Tom jumped up at the snakes, but then, having no better idea than to speak to the snakes.

"Will you do me a favor?"

"_Sure, you seem nice enough, and not many of your kind can speak to us, after all"_

"Good" Tom thought deviously of what would get Nigel to leave him alone forever "Go and scare the others. Hiss and moan and dart at then. Don't hurt them, at least not too much"

Niana and Vai, eager at the thought of causing some fun and havoc before bedtime, slid back under the curtain that concealed the snake charmer's stage and over to where the children were watching the finale. Tom listened as the girls and boys screamed for help, then in the ruckus he came from under the tent. The snake charmer ran over to him almost immediately, and whispered to him "_You speak Parseltounge. You are special, boy" _before joining the hunt to gather the snakes back. A quick few words and the snakes obediently came back to the snake charmer, and seemed to wink at Tom before they climbed back into the baskets.

That night Tom had been sent to bed with no supper, and would likely not receive any food upon arising. It mattered not to Tom, he had suffered many nights and mornings, first due to 'accidents' that seemed to occur around him, whenever he was angry, upset or hungry. Later, as some of the other kids picked up on his accident-prone tendencies, they would purposefully break things, upset delicate objects or destroy property belonging to the 'Keepers' and blame it on Tom. Some of the other orphans would even destroy their own clothing or the occasional group toy to see Tom get in trouble for it. It had become a sport for even the toddlers, who as soon as they could comprehend, learned that Tom was the enemy and would set to crying and wailing whenever Tom came near them.

"Another night, another dinner missed. At least this time it's partially my fault, although that Nigel teased me horribly and none of the Keepers bothered stopping him, or finding off where I'd gone. Nice lot they are."

Tom awoke the next morning to somebody violently shoving him and alternately beating him in the head.

"Git up you lazy sack of bones! Go git washed up, so's this lady can see ya! What she wants with you is all a mystery. Yer trouble! I've done tried sellin her on some of the more normal ones, but she's dead set on you! 'Parrently she's related to one of those circus blokes, and he took a shine to ye. What she wants with such trouble, even for a minute, is beyond me. But if itl get ya outta my face, I'd give ya to the workhouse!" Keeper John shouted, practically dragging Tom out of bed.

Tom knew this was an idle threat. The government didn't allow children from the orphanage to be set to any work, saying that they paid the orphanage enough to keep everybody well fed and clothed, and it was poor form for an orphan to be set to work at such a young age. They could do chores around the orphanage, but no outside work until they turned twelve. There wasn't enough work about for normal families, let alone orphans, but the Keepers always threatened him with the 'workhouse', which due to some bribes, had been able to continue employing child workers for menial tasks. Where the money went that the Government sent the orphanage, Tom could only guess, but even in the midst of a depression the Keepers always looked well fed, even though the orphans usually had to make due on watery gruel, stale bread and moldy cheese.

Keeper Jim was already stripping the bed Tom had just vacated of its linens, and was stuffing his meager belongings into the pillowcase.

"Yer to stay there with her at least a week, and if you suit her, she says she's gonna keep ya." Keeper John continued to shake his head, truly not understanding what would cause some lady who seemed very wealthy, if a tad eccentric, to want such a miserably troublesome boy.

Tom went to the bathroom, where somebody had scratched in crayon and in other mediums his name over a mirror and sink. None of the others ever dared touch that sink, thinking him a diseased freak. "No matter" Tom thought to himself "At least there's no fighting over sinks like the other boys do. Unless they're beating me up, they don't touch me" Tom took his cloth and soap, also untouched by the other boys, and washed his face as bidden. He brushed his teeth, ran a quick hand through his dark head, and went back to the room to put his only pair of clothes on that had no holes.

That day had been spent traveling from the orphanage to a large estate in Bath. They had taken a side trip to London proper for, as the lady who only introduced herself as "Auntie Ella" put it, decent clothes. Ella had Tom fitted for a suit, and took him to have several articles of clothing made. She also kept a copy of his measurements, telling Tom that she intended to send off for 'proper clothes' once they got to her house, but he had to have something to wear until they were ready. She cringed often, telling a confused Tom that the act of talking to 'Muggles' made her feel so dirty, as well as having to actually wear 'Muggle' clothing. Tom figured that 'Muggle' must be a high society word for low lives and commoners, and wondered why she didn't have servants attend to it for her. He asked as much and got this in response.

"If you are who Felix thinks you are, or are at least what Felix thinks you might be, it is a matter too delicate at this stage to entrust to just anybody."

Tom had then been brought to this estate and shown to the room he currently occupied. Last night the curious looking midget with the funny ears, looking more like a dog than anything, had brought Tom some vegetable soup, a piece of roast chicken and a little loaf of bread with butter on a tray. Astonished at the amount of food lavished on him, he stared quite a while at it before remembering his hunger and devouring the whole thing. That morning he awoke to find a bowl of cereal, a small pitcher of milk, a glass of orange juice, a boiled egg and a sausage roll sitting on the table where his dinner had lay the night before.

"Two meals!" Tom whispered. He could scarcely remember a time at the orphanage when meat had made a presence two meals in a row, or even two meals that he had been allowed to eat in a row. He had often been punished to go to bed without for 'causing trouble'. He slid out of bed and ate heartily until the small servant entered his room carrying a small package. "Mistress Elladora wishes you to wash properly and put this on. She will summon you when it is time"

Thus Tom found himself sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in a new button shirt and knickers, with a new pair of loafers on, and waiting to be called downstairs. He looked about at the portraits that hung around his head, and strained to read what they said. Although his schooling at the orphanage had been paltry and sad, he could read properly and knew most of his numbers. He looked at one particular portrait labeled Phineas N. Black in particular. It showed a forest scene, but there was nobody actually IN the portrait. Others seemed to stare at him, and one portrait seemed to be of a man sleeping.

"Odd choice for a portrait, somebody sleeping" Tom said. He almost choked on his remaining milk when the portrait suddenly shifted up and looked down at him contemptuously.

"How DARE you interrupt my nap! Do you realize how hard it is to manage three portraits? I pop in here for a bit of a rest and am disturbed by a filthy little urchin!" The portrait shouted. Tom was just regaining his composure when the small servant entered his room. "Mistress Elladora will see you now. Mind your manners"

Tom was led down a long hallway filled with heavy dark doors. The pair reached a spiral staircase and began their descent. Tom noticed the sound of a piano being played. Every Christmas a volunteer from the local church had come to the orphanage to sing hymns with the orphans, but that old piano had been clunky and out of tune. Everywhere he looked tapestries hung, some with brave battles being displayed, others with symbols and family crests. They reached the first floor, and Tom was shown to a sitting room with the plushest couches he had ever seen.

"Ah, our diminuitive guest has arrived at last. Mika, you are dismissed. Go clean that tray away and then help with whatever needs to be done. Our cousins will be over tonight to share in this occasion." Elladora spoke to the small servant that had led Tom downstairs. "Tom, I believe that is what they called you at that awful Muggle place, What is your full name?"

Tom straightened his back and announced "Tom Marvolo Riddle. Twas pinned to me as a baby."

Elladora's eyes jumped clean out of their sockets, or appeared to do so to Tom. "Marvolo! Riddle! You poor soul! Living life among Muggles… Tis a shame what your mother did to you, but she can't be helped, what, with her father near daft himself! To think what the Gaunt line had become! That filthy Marvolo Gaunt, and those poor children of his! I'm sure if Marvolo had known about the Riddles, and who they really were, he would have been much happier for Merope. Should have sent her off to school once his wife died. The whole lot of them would be much better off now. Scandalous, the whole thing. Well, we can start over, now can't we! Oh dear, you look so confused! Well, I'll start at the beginning… we will have to write to Mistress Bagshot. She's a good historian and will help fill in the details I am unfamiliar with."

Elladora took a sip from a goblet next to her and continued. "You, are Tom Marvolo Riddle, a Wizard, Parselmouth and a Pureblood so much as I can tell. I'll explain the bit about pureblood in a bit, but first you must understand your status. Wizards have magical powers, some more powerful than others. The fact that you are a parselmouth makes you extra special. You will begin training in Occulumency in a few years, get you ahead of the game in school. Muggles are non-magical humans, the lowest of the low, utter filth not fit to be in the company of decent folk. Purebloods are born of two pureblood witches and wizards. Mud-bloods are born of muggles. A pureblood child can be born of a mud-blood marrying a pureblood, or a half-blood marrying a pure-blood. Half-bloods are wizards and witches born purebloods marrying Muggles. Two mud-bloods equals a half-blood, and two half-bloods can equal a pureblood, depending on the family name.

"Mika is a house elf, and we have several in our employ. Fai! FAI!" Suddenly a creature appeared with a potato sack covering its body.

"Tom, this is your house elf, Fai. He will remain yours until you come of age, at 17. If you prove yourself at Hogwarts, you may retain him."

Tom had never had so much kindness shown to him at once. He mused silently about this crazy turn of fate when Elladora's voice cut through his day-dream.

"Fai will show you around the family wing of the manor, and then you may entertain yourself in the nursery until dinner."

Fai did just that, and Tom was almost dizzy trying to learn what everything was until he was more than happy to be deposited in the 'nursery', which despite it's name was filled with toys of all sorts. At some point one of the elves had brought him a sandwich with roast beef and a glass of milk. He once again marveled at having proper meat at a meal and devoured the meal. He busied himself with toy soldiers until the woman from before, Aunt Ella, walked in and, after watching him for a while, spoke.

"Tom, you must go get dressed. Dinner is coming soon, and we will be having formal dinner with all of the best of pureblood society! The news that a proper Gaunt heir has been found, and that despite popular rumor he's not a mudblood is… a formal dinner HAD to be arranged. Your dress clothes should be in your room, and an escort has been set for you.

Tom was thus escorted back to his room. A trunk with his initials had appeared, as well as a wardrobe. He found hanging within it a new suit, with shiny new shoes underneath. As he dressed, he reflected on the news he had heard.

"So I'm not such a freak after all… I'm a wizard, better than most people… special among even other wizards!" He thought. He looked into the mirror, straightened his back and stuck his chin out into the air. He looked ridiculous, but felt wonderful. The portrait of Phineaus looked at him carefully.

"My, my… another pureblood! You look the sort to fit right in though. Mind what you learn, and never trust a mudblood!"

Tom listened to the portrait, silently wondering how long it would take him to get used to this whole 'magic' deal. He eagerly looked forward to the upcoming meal, a lavish occasion by the smell of it, and by the way Fai rushed off when Tom gave him permission to help with the dinner preparations. Tom had many questions, but as Aunt Ella had pointed out, Mistress Bagshot still had informants out wandering the wizarding world. His mother's family had been no mystery, but his father's family might be German, and thus it would take much longer to find out the truth.

Fai appeared, and bowed to Tom before speaking. "Your escort is here. Mistress is waiting."

Tom looked behind the house elf and saw a young blonde about his age. She had shoulder length hair done up in ringlets and wore a dark blue dress covered in ribbons and silk bows.

"My name is Callidora Black, and I am your escort for the evening." Callidora curtsied and smiled.

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><p>AN: Final notes about this chapter and story in general. There are more parselmouths than just Tom, although they are still rather scarce. Unlike in Canon, most of society remained aware of the Gaunts, and looked forward to the return of the once noble line to proper society, so finding Tom was like Christmas coming early. The theory being that purebloods were valuable until they became blood-traitors, and even then could be redeemed. The next chapter will likely come out by the weekend, depending on how much editing and revising it will need. And for those of you following my other stories, I hope to have new chapters out in time for Friday.

Later Days! ~*~7M


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